Just Another Routine Mission
by Bixata
Summary: What the title says. Daniel and Teal'c are injured, Carter's captured, and Jack struggles to get them all home. Teamfic. Complete
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Just a regular mission sometime in Season 2. Daniel's injured, Teal'c is injured, Carter's captured, Jack is…Jack. Teamfic centered on Jack and Daniel as Jack tries to get them all home.

**Just Another Routine Mission**

The Jaffa appeared out of nowhere. Colonel Jack O'Neill and Dr. Daniel Jackson were immediately cut off from the Stargate, separated from their teammates the Jaffa rebel Teal'c and Captain Samantha Carter, who had only the DHD for cover. Colonel O'Neill ordered them to retreat through the 'Gate for reinforcements while he and Daniel provided cover fire.

Once their two teammates were safely through the shimmering blue event horizon of the wormhole connecting this planet, designated P4Z-924, to Earth, Jack and Daniel retreated into the forest, turning to fire behind them at the pursuing Jaffa.

"Jack, look out!" Daniel shouted a warning as two Jaffa appeared in front of them. Jack's M-16 was knocked out of his hands by a single strike from a staff weapon, but it swung behind him still attached by the strap. Before Daniel could help out Jack had unsheathed his knife and the first Jaffa was down on the ground unconscious or dead. Jack struggled with the second for a few seconds, but Daniel had to focus on keeping the rest of their attackers away, firing behind them at any movement.

"Daniel, let's go." Jack shouted at him as he struggled back up to his feet, and Daniel didn't bother looking at the fallen Jaffa as he and Jack took off further into the trees.

Moments later Daniel cried out and tumbled to the ground, clutching his leg. Jack fired his M-16 as he ran back to Daniel's side, grabbing him roughly by the vest to help him to his feet. He swept a cautious gaze across the woods, searching for another threat, but he had already taken out the Jaffa that had managed to hit Daniel with a staff blast in the lower thigh.

He swung Daniel's arm over his shoulder and together they stumbled through the underbrush, Daniel hop-skipping to keep up with Jack and breathing heavily through the pain.

"Hang in there, Daniel." Jack whispered encouragingly, his M-16 cradled ready for use in his left arm.

They didn't stop until they found some old ruins, sturdy though crumbling with age, they would provide enough shelter in a firefight if need be. Jack helped Daniel to the ground and removed Daniel's pack, yanking out the first aid kit and handing it over to Daniel. Then he left to secure the perimeter as quickly as he could, laying down charges in case of an ambush. Minutes later he hurried back to the ruins to check on Daniel.

Daniel held his Beretta clutched to his chest. His left leg was straight out in front of him, his back against the wall. Jack knelt down beside him.

"How's the leg?"

"I'll be fine. Clipped the side, no major damage. Bleeding's slowing down. Just hurts."

Jack nodded, searched through the med kit and handed Daniel some pills and his water canteen. "This should help the pain. Will you be able to run if we need to?"

Daniel nodded silently.

"Okay. I think we'll be making our stand here anyway. Carter and Teal'c will be back soon with reinforcements."

Jack started to remove his pack but stopped, a confused expression on his face. Daniel closed his eyes as a wave of pain hit and when he opened his eyes again Jack was muttering to himself too low for Daniel's exhausted brain to comprehend as he removed his T-shirt and started tearing it into long strips. Daniel looked down at his own leg and the clean bandage he had wrapped around his wound, and wondered what uses Jack had for his now shredded shirt. There were still enough bandages to last him another two dressings at least.

The next thing he knew Jack was wrapping one of his shirt strips around Daniel's already bandaged leg. He couldn't suppress the agonized whimper at the pain but it didn't last long before he passed out.

-----

"Daniel, you still with me?"

Daniel's eyes flew open in alarm. He hadn't realized he'd dozed off. "Sorry. Um, didn't mean to. Just tired."

"I know, Daniel. You're going to be all right. I'll get you out of here, but I really need you to be alert for the next couple of hours. Those Jaffa won't leave us out here alone, they'll be looking for us. Are you okay to be on the lookout?"

Daniel nodded unconvincingly. "How long was I out?"

"Three hours." Jack told him as he knelt at Daniel's side and checked his eyes and his pulse, then glanced at the leg and was satisfied that it wasn't bleeding through the bandages.

Daniel nodded, ignoring Jack's hands-on inquiry. "What now?"

"We wait."

And so they waited. And waited. And there was nothing. No Jaffa. No rescue. No nothing.

"Okay, something's wrong." Jack declared suddenly after 6 hours of silence. "Carter and Teal'c should have come back already. So either Hammond assumed we didn't make it, or they were sent through the 'Gate so hard they're unconscious, or they assumed we were captured and are maintaining radio silence. Or they were captured when they came back through the 'Gate." He rolled his eyes at his now extended list of possibilities.

"Or they're dead."

Jack glared at Daniel. "Leave the pessimism to the expert." He picked up his radio and held it to his mouth. "This is SG-1 niner, come in. Can anybody read this? This is SG-1 niner, please respond." He paused a moment then turned to Daniel. He was about to say something when a voice sounded over the radio.

"O'Neill."

"Teal'c! What's your situation?"

"SG-3, SG-7 and Captain Carter have been captured by the Jaffa. I have thus far evaded their forces."

"Any casualties?"

There was a slight hesitation then, "Colonel Makepeace received a staff wound to the arm. The others were taken by zats. I have received a staff blast to my shoulder, but the damage is minimal and my symbiote has already begun the healing."

"What's your position?" Jack wasn't worried about Teal'c's injury, he knew nothing would slow the big guy down if he was still conscious.

"I have been following their trail. We are currently approximately one kilometer northwest of the Stargate."

"Copy that. Is the 'Gate still guarded?"

"Indeed."

"We'll circle around and try to catch up with you. Stay on their six as long as you can, and let me know if they reach their final destination."

"I will do so."

"Be careful Teal'c. Stay out of trouble."

"That was my plan as well, O'Neill."

A small, wry smile came to Jack's lips at the subtle Jaffa humor. "Very wise, my friend. Radio check every half hour, let us know their progress. O'Neill out."

He removed his hand from the radio in his chest pocket and climbed to his feet. "Alright, Daniel. Looks like you and me are going on a little Nature hike. You up for it?"

Daniel nodded. Jack helped him to his feet and flinched a little as he pulled Daniel's arm over his own shoulders and put a helpful arm around Daniel's waist. "We have to be quick but if you need to rest tell me. It isn't worth the risk of you passing out, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. Wouldn't want to put you at risk or anything. I mean, we're just rescuing the people who were supposed to be rescuing us. It's not like we shouldn't have seen this one coming."

Jack studied Daniel's face closely. "A bit snippy today?"

Daniel fought his own anger, knowing that Jack was doing everything he could to keep them safe, and he didn't want to seem ungrateful. So he went for sarcasm, which was what he had often seen Jack rely on when he was in pain. "Yeah, well, I've got a big hole in my leg where there shouldn't be one. I'd like to see how you handle it."

Jack was eerily silent.

They moved swiftly through the rugged terrain, Daniel struggling to keep his right leg moving didn't even notice Jack at his side urging him on, muttering heatedly to himself. After half an hour Teal'c checked in and Jack adjusted their trajectory, doing a mental calculation Daniel couldn't even begin to understand in his current state, but he had long ago learned that despite Jack's initial appearance as a proudly simple man, he sure knew his stuff about military tactics and survival. Training and years of experience had given him an edge that even Sam with her genius mind could never truly imitate.

Finally, Jack called for a short break, helping Daniel to the ground before checking the perimeter swiftly and efficiently. Daniel pulled out his canteen and took a drink of water before tossing it to Jack who took a healthy chug, wiping his face afterwards with his jacket sleeve. He tossed the canteen back to Daniel and sat down, close enough for Daniel to see the sweat on Jack's face and his rough breathing. Jack had been supporting most of Daniel's weight as they moved, and he hadn't let his guard down for a second for the whole nine hours they'd been waiting for a rescue. He had to be tired.

"How you doing, Daniel?"

"I'll be fine." Daniel replied stubbornly, and bit his tongue before commenting on Jack's current state.

"We should change that bandage now." He knelt down beside Daniel and pulled out the medical kit. They had left Daniel's bag behind, shoving only the essentials into Jack's, including explosives and the med kit.

Daniel protested mildly. "I'm fine Jack. We should worry about the others."

"You're no good to me if you collapse from blood loss, Daniel. So stop making my job so hard and let me take care of you."

"I can take care of myself, Colonel." Daniel replied bitterly, annoyed with his apparent helplessness.

Though Daniel had suspected Jack to be quite upset with his attempt at arrogance, Jack was surprisingly gentle. At least, at first he was. "I know you can, Daniel. But if you want to prove how brave and dumb you are by walking through fire and swimming with sharks you do it on your own time. Right now, you're under my command, it's my responsibility to get you home, so we're doing this my way. You don't see me trying to translate and understand your precious rocks. So shut up and let me do my job."

Properly chastised, Daniel sat quietly while Jack changed the bandage and tied it off with a strip of his shirt. He allowed his eyes to close for a few minutes when Jack was done, keeping his ears on alert for any signs of an approaching enemy. He could hear Jack moving around behind him, and a few muffled curses, after he checked in with Teal'c again.

"You ready to move out?" Jack asked, tapping Daniel's shoulder after a few minutes, and at Daniel's unenthusiastic nod, helped the younger man to his feet again.

Teal'c had checked in two more times before he finally reported that the others had reached their final destination and were taken within the walls of a small temple. Teal'c backtracked to await his teammates at a safer distance, and Daniel nearly fainted in Jack's arms when the hulking form of his teammate appeared suddenly in front of them. Without any indication of surprise, Jack nodded his head silently in greeting.

The two warriors discussed tactics while Daniel rested with his back against the trunk of a tree. He watched the two men with curiosity, only half aware of what they were saying.

Teal'c was a real mystery. His friendship with the Jaffa warrior didn't really have the strongest foundation to begin with but he couldn't deny the strength of their bond that had been forged over the last few months. Teal'c was loyal, protective, and devoted to the team in every way. He was a good man, despite the atrocities he had committed in his turbulent past, including the capture and damnation of Daniel's beloved wife, the Abydonian woman Sha're. Daniel had no idea where he had come up with the strength and sense to forgive the man, but it was a given that he had.

And then there was Jack. Colonel Jack O'Neill, the hardcore Air Force veteran, special ops trained, who'd seen his share of evil and hatred and injustice and was still fighting. The man had lost everything, his son, his wife, but somehow he found the will to live, and the love for life again. Daniel's role in that reversal had also kindled one heck of a friendship, despite their many dramatic differences.

But Jack, though normal and simple in most regards was nothing if not extraordinary. Jack was extreme. He could be a fun-loving, dog-chasing kid one moment and a wise-cracking irreverent hardline soldier the next, the type of soldier that could save lives where nobody else could. He wasn't fearless, Daniel had noted on several occasions, and he no longer had a death wish, and yet some of the many feats he had performed in the last year and a half as the leader of SG-1 and 2IC of Stargate Command would have most people wonder about the validity of that statement. Not many people could understand the enigma that was the Colonel, even Daniel only rarely worked out what made Jack tick, and why. And he figured he knew Jack about as well as anybody could.

Teal'c seemed to be watching Jack with wary concern, which made Daniel wonder. The two warriors had been like brothers from the beginning, forming such as immediate bond that Teal'c had turned from his God, his family, to rescue Jack and the lives of many innocent people, choosing to fight for the freedom of his people. Though it may be a losing battle, he was on the right side. Daniel had never been sure what Teal'c had seen in Jack, but he wasn't at all surprised by it. He had sensed it too, he just wasn't sure what it was. He could feel it in Sam and Teal'c now as well. Whatever it was, the four of them were closer than ever, more efficient than any other team.

"Daniel, you okay, Buddy?"

He shoved Jack's hand away from his shoulder. He could be such a mother hen. "I'm fine. You two come up with a plan?"

"Sure. Storm the castle, get the girl and her escort, slay the demons, and we all live happily ever after."

And sometimes he could be downright irritating. "Jack."

"Daniel, you can barely walk and Teal'c, well, Junior's taking care of him but he's not full strength. We can't risk taking you in there, but I need to know if we can leave you here alone. So give it to me straight. Can you watch our backs out here and keep yourself safe?"

Daniel thought about it carefully. He was fully alert, he was armed, and he would be nothing but a liability if he went in with them. "I'll be okay out here, Jack. Go do your hero thing, I'll sit out here. Bleeding. Hiding."

Jack took Daniel's Beretta and checked it carefully and handed it back with his extra clips. "You run into any trouble give a double click on the radio. We'll be doing recon but if the opportunity presents itself we'll get Carter and the others."

"Okay."

Jack ruffled Daniel's hair as he stood up. "Hang tight."

Daniel watched them disappear into the woods, silently cursing the pain in his leg and hoping his team made it out safely. He scanned the tree line for any movement but didn't find any. Now, how to pass the time? Lots of worrying. Oh, how he loved worrying while waiting.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Jack and Teal'c crept up to the Goa'uld base of operations at the temple, moving swiftly and silently. They crouched down against the wall, close to the entrance and listened intently for signs of guards. Sensing none, O'Neill waved two fingers forward and the two men surged as one through the entrance, weapons raised, Teal'c with a zat which would be much more effective at this close range than his customary staff weapon. Jack waved his M-16 around warily, proficiently, like a third arm, as though it were a part of him.

Teal'c led the way down the abandoned corridor, with Jack close behind. At the sound of clanking footsteps in front of them they slid down an empty side corridor and pressed themselves into the walls until the Jaffa patrol had passed. Jack had always wanted to laugh at the stupidity and laxity of Goa'uld security. It was so easy to sneak around these guys.

"Kree! Jaffa!"

Aw crap.

The rear guard had chanced to turn around and caught a glimpse of Teal'c. Jack couldn't see the Jaffa from his angle so it was good possibility they couldn't see him. He edged further away. Teal'c realized his strategy and positioned his body to shield Jack's, drawing the attention away from his leader. There were too many for a firefight at this range.

So much for plan A.

Teal'c was dragged away, fighting stubbornly and yet compliantly enough so they would not look for any others. Jack had to marvel at that. He stealthily followed the group down the hall, listening to their footsteps to guide him.

-----

Daniel was busy worrying.

_Is that Greek?_ He asked himself, displacing the dirt beneath him and looking around cautiously.

He was done worrying.

-----

Jack scanned the empty hallway. This was a bad idea. This whole plan sucked. If he acted quickly Teal'c may be able to help since he wasn't physically restrained yet, but that would require him to make his own presence known which would bring even more Jaffa to fight. Or he could stick to the plan, strictly recon, and try to break them out later. By himself. But Daniel was bleeding out there. Need to take care of him, too. And there was no knowing what Carter and the other two teams were going through.

Scratch that recon idea, there were too many unknowns, which would generally imply he needed to do the recon. Ironic. He didn't know enough, so he had to act now.

Decision made, now how to do it. He'd have to get Teal'c free first, increase the odds. He was in no condition to do this on his own.

A scratching from the walls startled him and he jumped away from his useless hiding place. He silently cursed his skittishness, thinking he reacted like a frightened child who'd seen a snake. Or, rather, a Goa'uld. Now that would freak out more than kids. Heck, grown men could weep like babies at the sight of one of those beasties. So there was nothing to be embarrassed about. Except it wasn't a beastie, it was just a scratching at the walls.

At least he hadn't screamed.

He checked the area quickly for oncoming traffic and found none, so he stepped closer to the wall, placing his ear against it to listen. He could hear muffled voices, arguing perhaps. Then there was pounding and a distinctly female voice shouting and he smiled to himself. That was definitely Carter. Seems that he had found his captured companions.

Hoping there were no bad guys on the other side he found the door mechanism, braced his back against the wall, pulled out his zat and set it at the ready, then he opened the door. There was immediate silence on the other side. He crept forward…

…And found a fist flying towards his face, the zat shoved aside. He ducked and sprung forward to catch the arm and pulled its possessor into a head lock.

"This is how you greet your savior?" He shoved Colonel Ryan, the commander of SG-7 away from him, wincing slightly as he straightened up. "You kids ready to take a hike? General Hammond's gonna get a big laugh when we tell him I saved my rescuers. Makepeace, you all right?"

"I'll be fine."

"Then get your team out of here. Daniel's outside, he's been hit in the leg but he's hanging in there, find him and make your way back to the 'Gate. It should be guarded, so wait for my signal."

"Sir?" Carter stepped up to him, realizing that there was something wrong.

"I'm going after Teal'c. Carter, you're with me. We move now it won't be much of a fight. Ryan, I'm taking Silvers and Cavanagh with me, you're with Makepeace. I'm trusting you all to get Daniel out safely. Knock him out if you need to, but get him home. If we're not in contact in an hour…well, we've probably been captured and this cycle will repeat. I don't really care for that to happen. Don't draw too much attention to yourself, if you can avoid a fight, do it. Unless all hell breaks loose. Now get going."

"Colonel, Teal'c was hit, but we saw him get away." Carter began to explain, not knowing that he and Teal'c had already made contact.

"I know, Carter. He was with me when they got him. So if we hurry we can get him back before they do too much damage." He handed over his zat to Ryan and his 9mm to one of the Marines. "Move out."

Jack led his team one way, Ryan the other. Ryan and his team were met with no resistance, a surprisingly easy escape now that the Jaffa believed there was no more threat after Teal'c's capture.

From his position where he had unearthed a large tablet with Greek lettering, Daniel saw them emerge, unguarded. He wondered if it was a trap but he could see no Jaffa lying in wait. And they appeared to be looking for something. Probably him.

"Daniel Jackson." He heard a harsh but soft whisper call out for him.

He inched up warily from his hidden position and was immediately seen by Makepeace who was clutching an arm to his chest. The Marine nodded in his direction to Ryan and the man came over. Daniel gripped his Beretta but kept it hidden out of view. "Dr. Jackson, Colonel O'Neill ordered us back to the 'Gate. You're coming with us."

"What about my team?"

"Teal'c was captured. O'Neill and Carter went after him with two of my men. They'll be right behind us, but we need to move now."

Daniel glanced down at the tablet at his feet. He was torn by curiosity and common sense. The archaeologist in him needed to finish translating it, there were references to an enslaved people and some kind of disease or plague or war that decimated the population. This could be important in finding out what happened on this world and if maybe there was something here that would help their fight against the Goa'uld. The plague or whatever it was may have been a biological weapon used by or against the Goa'uld and the Jaffa. Plus, finding any historical references to Greek heritage was extremely rare and didn't quite fit with the timeline of the Goa'uld presence on Earth.

However, common sense and self-preservation, a personality trait encouraged in him through Jack and Teal'c's efforts, knew he should leave now and worry about returning later after the dust had settled.

And yet, the friend and teammate in him wanted to wait for the rest of his team.

"I have orders to knock you out if needed."

Okay, then that's decided. "Teal'c said the 'Gate is still guarded."

"We know. We're to wait for O'Neill and the others but we need to get there and do recon. You're with us, Dr. Jackson. Can you walk?"

"Sure, why not. Just a little blood loss and pain, no coffee or sleep. I'll be fine." He got to his feet, swaying a little.

"Fitzmorris, help Dr. Jackson."

Daniel handed over his Beretta to Ryan as Lieutenant Fitzmorris supported him under the arm, but he held onto his zat.

"Let's move out."

They made their way back to the Stargate.

-----

Carter followed O'Neill silently, Silvers and Cavanagh behind her. O'Neill held up his hand and they all stopped. Colonel O'Neill had the only weapon, and she watched, confused, as he handed her the M-16, pulling the strap over his head. She accepted it through reflex, still wondering why he would give it to her. He never gave up his weapon willingly.

A knife suddenly appeared in his hand, the comfort with which he wielded it reminding her that this man had served in special ops for good reason. He seemed at ease with their situation, practically unarmed in a Goa'uld stronghold, one of their own injured and captured. And all he had was his knife.

Now as a soldier, that was something to admire. She was constantly in awe of her CO. He had put himself on the line more times than she could count and somehow he always pulled through. As a leader and a fighter, she would be lucky to be even half as good. In the last year alone she had learned more from him about field operations than in her entire time at the Academy. She had been pretty cocky at first, she had always breezed through all her trials in school, and even in the Gulf. She didn't think he would be able to handle anything that she couldn't.

He had proved her wrong so many times. He wasn't a genius, he couldn't define a wormhole, let alone explain it, even in simple terms. But he was a mastermind at survival.

She saw it in Antarctica, when he had refused to give up hope, and even when it looked like his time was up he still fought for her, gave her all he could, gave her the strength to survive. He had faith in her when even she, with all her bravado and bragging and brains, didn't. And if he didn't, he put on a good enough show to believe him, such that she was ashamed of herself for lacking the same faith and devotion.

It was unnerving. She had always been the best, often better than her instructors, though she didn't make a big deal about it. She played her role, followed strictly the chain of command even when she felt she could do a better job than her superiors. She had never once felt that way under Colonel O'Neill's command. He let her do her thing, be the brains of the outfit, and more often than not, sided with her logic without question. And she felt proud to have that trust, even more so than she had ever felt from her own father. To gain O'Neill's respect was no simple thing.

From day one in the Air Force she felt she had something to prove as a woman. That was always her story. Carter's only a woman, she can't do that, don't let her do this. But that wasn't the Colonel's style. Everyone had walked into that first briefing before their first mission with their own expectations of how things would turn out and she was the guiltiest of all. She had blatantly accused her CO of being sexist, when he had been no such thing. Far from it.

Colonel O'Neill didn't seem to care that she was a woman. He made no great chivalrous acts, like offering to carry her things, or refusing her a chance to fight. If anything, he was more concerned by having a civilian on his team, though he made every effort possible to keep Daniel on their team. The Colonel tried to treat him like any other officer under his command, giving him just a little more leniency than the others, protecting him and defending his position on SG-1 to Hammond and Washington as strongly as he defended Teal'c. He tried to keep Daniel out of the action as much as possible, sending her in instead if given the choice. It made sense, of course, she was trained for combat but she had never expected someone as old-fashioned as the Colonel to put her in more danger than a man under his command, civilian or not.

For the first time in her career she wasn't the woman. She was just Carter, the brilliant scientist, and she loved that, even though the Colonel claimed to have no love for scientists. He never seemed to hold it against her, though. In fact, at first he seemed to ignore it and treated her like a soldier. Like anyone else under his command. He had immediately accepted Daniel, and she couldn't help but wonder what must have happened on that first mission to Abydos. The two men obviously trusted each other. And Teal'c. Well, he seemed to be a brother-in-arms, so like the Colonel in many ways, both suffering from great loss and following the code of the noble warrior.

She knew he would stop at nothing to get Teal'c back now.

They were moving again, running along the walls of the narrow hallways. The Colonel stopped so abruptly she nearly rammed into his backside. Fortunately, she was able to stop herself before performing an embarrassing tumble to avoid stepping on him. His hand came up to steady her, grasping her shoulder lightly. He motioned for them to stay put and keep silent then disappeared around the corner. After a few seconds she heard a muffled gasp, a clatter, then silence. A few seconds later and he reappeared, waving them out. She glanced around the corner and saw the prone form of a Jaffa guard sprawled along the ground. She didn't see any blood and she wondered if he was still alive. She didn't have time to check as the Colonel picked up the zat and they moved on.

They snuck up on another corridor and the Colonel crouched down and used the blade of his knife as a mirror. She could hear voices and foot scuffles, the clatter of armor. The Colonel was just getting a good look when a voice called out with the distinctive timbre of the Goa'uld in the deep, mechanical tone.

"So this is the shol'va, Teal'c? My master will be most pleased. Why have you come here, shol'va? Did you hope to turn others to your misguided cause?"

Colonel O'Neill withdrew the knife and signaled that there were five Jaffa/Goa'uld in the room, two holding Teal'c, the other two close to the door, and the Goa'uld himself. He wasn't waiting for more surprise reinforcements, she noted, as he began the countdown. They knew exactly what to do.

On cue, O'Neill dashed in first and took out the two closest guards with the zat, the two Jaffa crashing to the ground as Carter rushed in and aimed the M-16 at the startled Goa'uld. Teal'c, alerted by the noise, threw the guards off of him, grabbing hold of one and knocking him senseless while Silvers and Cavanagh grabbed the other one who was soon unconscious.

"Hey there, flashy dresser." Colonel O'Neill greeted the Goa'uld with the cheeky sarcasm which tended to go unappreciated by their kind. "If you don't mind we'll just take our good buddy Teal'c here and show ourselves out. You give us any trouble and, well, Carter here would be more than happy to give you some ventilation, free of charge."

Carter smiled happily, playing her part, waving the weapon slightly.

"Or maybe we ought to just bring you along. Those guys at Area 51 would love to get their hands on one of you snakeheads." As he spoke he disarmed all the Jaffa and distributed the zats among his team. "So who is it we have the honor of defeating today?" he asked Teal'c. "Would anybody mind if we just killed him?"

"He is a minor System Lord of little consequence, O'Neill. When we escape he will likely be sentenced to death. A slow, excruciatingly painful death."

"So is he a threat to Earth if we leave him alive? The planet seems unpopulated, I doubt he'd…" His voice cut off abruptly and in a blur of motion his arm flung out. Carter couldn't even see the knife until seconds later when the Goa'uld crashed to the floor, the knife handle protruding from his throat, his hand clutching a round metal ball tightly.

"Shock grenade." Teal'c confirmed, standing over the dead Goa'uld.

Colonel O'Neill walked up to the Goa'uld, kicked its feet to make sure it was dead, then harshly pulled out the blade, cleaned it on the smock of the dead alien and placed it back in its sheath at his hip. He groaned as he stood up and Carter handed him back his M-16 and armed herself with a zat.

"Daniel and the others are on their way to the 'Gate. What do you say we join them before the folks around here find out Papa Smurf is dead."

Carter cringed inwardly at the reference. The Goa'uld the Colonel had just killed was wearing a stunningly blue…dress with a red shawl. She'd never be able to even think of Smurfs again.

"Teal'c, you want to show us the way out?"

"Indeed." He stepped over the Jaffa at his feet and moved closer to the doorway, following Silvers and Cavanagh who were checking the corridor outside for hostiles.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Daniel was grateful for adrenaline. Without it he'd have dropped off hours ago. As it was, he was barely able to stumble along with Fitzmorris without nodding off.

"Dr. Jackson, stay with me."

"I'm with you." He slurred back at his mule. "You know, after a while it doesn't even hurt anymore."

"You're in shock. We're almost there."

"You think Jack and the others are behind us?"

"You're the one with the radio."

"Should I try to contact them? They might be busy. You know, escaping."

"That'll be up to Colonel Ryan or Makepeace. I'm sure if they wanted it they would have taken it by now."

"Cut the chatter, Fitz." Ryan commanded. "Jackson, see if you can get Colonel O'Neill on the radio."

Daniel smirked over at Fitzmorris, who helped him position the device. "Jack, it's Daniel, do you copy?"

Colonel Ryan rolled his eyes at Daniel's lack of military procedure, but Daniel didn't really care as Jack's voice came over the line. "Daniel, did SG-3 and -7 find you?"

"Yes, we're on our way to the Stargate. Did you get Teal'c?"

"Affirmative. We're right behind you. Tell Ryan to do a discreet recon of the 'Gate, don't engage the enemy. We're on your six with more weapons. Teal'c estimates ten minutes."

"Got it."

There was a long moment of silence, then, "Hang in there, Daniel. Doc and her needles are only an hour away. How's Makepeace?"

Daniel glanced up to locate the Marine Colonel, who was at the front, doggedly refusing any help, clutching his arm to his chest. "He's fine. Janet will have a handful."

"Copy that. Contact me at Ryan's discretion. O'Neill out."

Colonel Ryan nodded back at him to indicate he got the message.

As they neared the 'Gate Ryan called a halt, motioning the others to get down and stay back as he and two Marines approached the 'Gate stealthily to get a fix on the situation. Fitzmorris helped Daniel to sit with his back leaning against a tree then checked his wound.

"I think you're going to be all right, Dr. Jackson. The Colonel must have done a fair job of first aid."

"If you mean cutting off my circulation and taking my mind off the pain by annoying me then, yeah, he did a fair job."

Fitzmorris smiled wryly at the sarcasm. "Colonel O'Neill was Special Forces. You're lucky he was around. We're trained for this but not many would have the patience with a civilian that he has for you. This is special treatment." He waved at the bandaging on Daniel's leg.

"What do you mean?" He was slightly indignant at being singled out as a civilian, like that was a bad thing.

Fitzmorris laughed softly. "He used his own shirt. I've had a commander tear the shirt off my back to treat my injuries, and his own."

"I should be grateful he gave me his shirt? We had plenty of bandages, I don't see why he even bothered with it."

Fitzmorris looked at him strangely as if he was missing something, but then he shrugged. "It's amazing he helped you get as far as you did. He doesn't leave anyone behind."

"Of course not. It's his job."

"He could have come back for you. It would have been easier to come rescue us by himself, come get you when it was safe. It's a risk, but a common tactical decision. It might have been safer to leave you alone away from the action. At least for someone in his condition, and him carrying you all that way."

Daniel had never thought about it, but Jack was a few years older. Maybe carrying most of Daniel's added weight was bad on his knees or back. Is that what he meant? Daniel didn't think that was something appropriate to say about one's superior, but he let it pass.

"You see Makepeace up there?" Fitzmorris continued. "He's the same way. If we hadn't seen him get hit he'd probably be hiding it now, after getting it treated of course. It's the mission that matters, they'll take care of themselves afterwards. And you can be sure they'll be big babies about it. There's nothing sweeter than a sympathetic nurse." He grinned.

Daniel would have blushed if he had the blood for it. He had discovered that several of the nurses seemed to have a thing for him. "That's unethical," he mumbled.

"Nah, that's war. Why do you think all the nurses are female?"

He had never thought of that, but now he had something new to research when he got home.

There was a rustle in the grass, a twig snapping, but nothing else to alert them of O'Neill's arrival with his makeshift team. They melted into the clearing. Jack met with Makepeace and the two Colonels discussed the situation while Sam came over to check on Daniel.

"Hey, Daniel. You okay?"

"No," he grunted. "But I'll live. You guys have any trouble?"

"Other than an aversion to Smurfs, not much. We found a Goa'uld, a minor one, serving one of the System Lord, didn't get the details."

"Aversion to Smurfs?" Daniel repeated tiredly, his eyes drooping.

"You don't want to know."

Jack came over and knelt down beside them. Daniel tried to see what Fitzmorris had been talking about, if Jack was in any pain, but he couldn't see it through his own exhaustion. "Daniel, we're going to need you to walk the rest of the way alone. We may be in for a scrap if we're outnumbered and we can't spare anyone to help you. Can you make it?"

"I'll have to."

"Good. I want you to stick close to me, okay? If you fall, stay down and cover up, I don't want you getting hit again. Carter, you'll dial the 'Gate and send the code as soon as we're clear. If we're going in hot I'll be the last one out, make sure the iris gets closed the second I come through." He handed her his GDO.

"Yes sir."

"Lieutenant, keep an eye on Daniel, you cover him when we move in."

"Understood, sir." Fitzmorris replied sharply.

"Honestly, Jack, you don't have to make a big fuss over me. I'm not a child."

O'Neill smiled wryly. "Sure, Danny. Whatever you say. You keep your head down when the shooting starts."

"Yes, daddy."

O'Neill ruffled Daniel's hair as he stood up, then walked away to talk with the others. Sam smiled over at Daniel. "You should be glad he's got a sense of humor. But in the future you might not want to…you know. Remind him of his son."

"Crap." Daniel muttered to himself. "I must really be out of it."

"It's okay, I'm sure he understands. But honestly, how is your leg, Daniel? What happened?"

"Caught the edge of a staff blast. Really, I'm fine."

She nodded, then glanced away as Colonel Ryan and his men returned, and Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c moved over to meet them. "Looks like we're going to make our move," she told him as she watched O'Neill hand over a zat to Ryan then check his own weapon. "Be careful, Daniel."

"Uh-huh." He murmured tiredly, closing his eyes for a moment as he breathed deeply, then opened them with renewed determination. "I expect my favorite walnut and chocolate chip cookies when Janet's done with me."

Sam smiled at his optimism. "You got it. But you'd better be willing to share with the Colonel."

Daniel frowned. "Fine. I can just imagine all the weight jokes I'm going to be hearing for the next few days. You know he practically carried me for over four miles."

She smothered her laugh. "Oh yeah, I'd say you're in for it. Just make sure you don't take it to heart."

"Like I take anything Jack says to heart." Daniel joked, but he knew he was lying. Jack had told him they'd find Sha're, and he truly believed it.

"We're moving out, kids." Jack announced, just loud enough to grab everyone's attention, then he walked over and offered his hand to Daniel, helping him to his feet. "The Stargate is about half a klik away, Ryan reports there's a dozen Jaffa. Teal'c and Ryan are taking SG-7 around to attack from behind and we'll push them away from the 'Gate. Carter, I need you with Makepeace, he's not doing so hot, make sure he goes through with you and get a medical team ready for the rest of us."

"Yes sir."

He checked his watch then motioned for Teal'c and Ryan to move out. After a few minutes the rest of them followed, with Fitzmorris supporting Daniel on one side and Jack on the other holding him just by the arm, ready for action. Another few minutes and there was a single click over the radio, signaling that SG-7 was in position.

"Here we go." Jack whispered, and stepped away from Daniel a few inches, pulling out his zat. They moved through the trees, closer to the Stargate and just within range of the Jaffa. He took aim at the closer of the Jaffa, and fired the first shot, initiating their attack.

Immediately after his first shot three more from the opposite side of the clearing took down three Jaffa before they could react. Jack surged forward with SG-3 as Teal'c and SG-7 came out from behind the Stargate, pushing the Jaffa away from the 'Gate to find shelter among the trees.

Carter dashed out to the DHD with Makepeace on her heels, both firing their zats at the Jaffa while SG-3 provided additional cover fire. She slammed in the coordinates for Earth while Jack sent out a spray of bullets towards the Jaffa, encouraging them to duck or run. As the wormhole shot out of the Stargate Carter immediately sent SG-1's IDC with the Colonel's GDO.

A staff blast struck the ground at her feet and she was knocked down, winded but uninjured. Makepeace was there a second later, offering his good arm to help her up. "Is the iris open?" he shouted at her, and she checked the device on her wrist, then nodded. He unceremoniously dragged her to the Stargate and with a final glance back at O'Neill, hauled her through with him.

They emerged on the other side and staggered down the ramp.

"We're coming in hot, we need a medic!" she shouted, and they both moved off to the side as a staff blast shot through the wormhole and splashed into the Gate Room wall. She looked up at the Control Room and saw Hammond there, ready to close the iris when necessary.

Meanwhile, back on the planet, one of the Marines took a blast just below the knee and crumbled to the ground. "Get him out of here!" Jack ordered the remaining members of SG-3, then ran back to Daniel and Fitzmorris as SG-3 ran through the 'Gate, taking down two more of the Jaffa before they disappeared.

"Daniel, get going!" Jack ordered as he placed his body between Daniel and the Jaffa. Teal'c and SG-7 slowly made their way to the Stargate from the other side. Jack ducked behind the DHD to provide cover while Daniel and Fitzmorris ran through the 'Gate, closely followed by SG-7. Teal'c joined him at the DHD.

"O'Neill!"

"Right with you, Teal'c!" He yelled back, and the two of them turned and fired blindly behind them as they sprinted towards the 'Gate, the remaining Jaffa encouraged by the limited numbers opposing them leapt from their secure positions to fire multiple blasts.

Teal'c made it through first and staggered down the ramp of the 'Gate Room, followed less than a second later by O'Neill who ordered, "Close the iris!" in unison with Carter.

With a screech of metal the leaves of the iris closed and there were several distinct impacts before the 'Gate shut down. The silence lasted only seconds before a medical team rushed in to treat the wounded and General Hammond hurried through to check on his personnel.

"What the Hell happened out there?" his deep, Texan drawl broke through the noise of the organized chaos.

Colonel O'Neill ran a hand through his hair as he sat down at the base of the ramp. "The Jaffa captured your rescue team, General. There was a minor Goa'uld on the planet, we took good care of him. There were Jaffa at the 'Gate, but we really wanted to come home, sir."

The General looked around him at the medics going about their business treating Daniel, Teal'c and the wounded Marine. Then he stepped closer to the Colonel, concerned by the odd manner of his report. "Are you alright, Colonel?"

Jack sighed, then lifted his right arm and unstrapped his vest, revealing a mess of bloody bandages wrapped around his torso. "I was stabbed a while ago." He looked up at General Hammond and for the first time in fifteen hours allowed the pain to show in his eyes. "SGs-1, -3 and -7 all present and accounted for. I'm gonna pass out now, sir" he said just before his eyes rolled back and he slowly fell to the side, unconscious.

Hammond moved to catch him, already shouting for a medic. Daniel looked over as he was lifted onto a gurney and saw Jack slumped over, supported by General Hammond. "Jack!" he yelled out, panicked. "What happened, was he hit?"

But before he got his answer he was wheeled out of the 'Gate Room and rushed into an operating room to treat his leg, still screaming out to Jack.

TBC

Author's Note: Can't seem to get anything past you guys. Hope this satisfied your curiousity. Yes, Jack was wounded. There's one more part to this, Jack and Daniel need to have a little talk, don't you think? Thanks for the reviews, I love reading them.

Bixata


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: I'm so sorry about the delay, it was finals week and I had papers to grade and packing to do. I'm headed home for the holidays, where I won't have access to internet so this will be my last posting for a few weeks. Anyway, here's the final part.

Warning: language (Danny's a wee bit upset with Jack)

-----

"Jack!" Daniel mumbled drowsily when he awoke hours later. He remembered being wheeled into surgery for his leg and he had drifted off to sleep, exhausted from the long painful treks he had made on the planet after he'd been injured. SG-1, -3 and -7 had managed to escape home through the Stargate and Jack…Jack had collapsed.

"Janet!" he called out for Dr. Fraiser this time, hoping she could tell him what was going on.

Within seconds the diminutive doctor was at his side, checking his condition. "Dr. Jackson, I'm glad to see you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"What happened to Jack? I saw him collapse, is he okay?" He pushed her hands away as he sat up, his expression demanding that she answer him now, this instant, or he'd get up and find out on his own.

"He's okay, Daniel, he came out of surgery shortly after you did. He's on the other side of the curtain, sleeping, so try to keep your voice down." She stepped back and pulled the curtain aside, revealing Jack, shirtless but covered by a thin sheet.

Daniel propped himself up on his elbows to peer over at his team leader and friend, and frowned when he realized he wasn't wearing his glasses. He could see enough of a blur to know that it was Jack lying there though. "Was he hit coming through the 'Gate?"

Janet looked at him curiously as she came back to his side, handing him his glasses from the nearby stand. "He was treated for a knife wound. A pretty vicious blade by the looks of the wound, but fortunately there was no serious internal damage. He was lucky, Daniel. He had some blood loss, but it wasn't life threatening. He collapsed from exhaustion, for the most part, he'll be asleep for a least a few more hours. You should try to get some rest as well, Daniel. I'm going to want you to keep weight off that leg for a few days to let it heal, but other than that, you're in good condition, considering."

Daniel stared up at the ceiling, trying to remember when Jack could have been stabbed. Possibly when he went in to rescue Teal'c, but wouldn't Sam have said something about it? And the Jaffa weren't close enough at the 'Gate to…

He sprung up from the mattress with a loud, "Damn it, Jack, you son of a bitch!"

Janet tried to push him back, her calm composure instantly shattered. "Daniel! Calm down. What's wrong?"

"He was injured the whole time, wasn't he? He went hand-to-hand with some Jaffa when we were escaping from the 'Gate the first time. Before I was hit. That bastard carried me for miles and didn't bother telling me he had a hole in his gut. He let me complain and gripe about being hurt and there he is bleeding all over…His shirt! That's why he needed the extra bandages. I'm such an idiot." He fell back to the mattress and flung his arm over his face. "Stupid, stupid." He muttered into his elbow.

"Daniel." Janet touched his arm gently. "You didn't know?"

"No, I didn't know," he nearly shouted at her. "He never told me, and I was so tired I kept drifting off to sleep. I heard him moving around but…I never thought he'd hide something like that from me. But he's okay?"

"Yes, Daniel. He'll make a full recovery in a couple weeks. Both of your injuries were treated before infection set in. Like I said, it was mostly due to exhaustion that he passed out. He'll be awake in a few hours, he'll tell you himself that he's fine."

"Good. I'd like to know he's alive before I kill him," he grumbled, casting a glare in Jack's direction.

"Daniel." Janet sighed. "Get some rest, and let the Colonel sleep for a while. Sam and Teal'c have been asking to see you, but I'm not going to let them in until you and Colonel O'Neill have had a little chat. But if you continue to disturb my other patient I'll have you moved to an isolation room."

"Fine." He looked up at the ceiling, then back at her. "Just make sure you've got one of your big needles on hand. I may need it."

"Are you in pain?" 

"No, I meant for Jack. He is so going to get it."

Janet tried valiantly to hide her smile at Daniel's irritation and threats. She got the feeling he would be more than delighted to shove the needle in a tender part of the Colonel's anatomy. "I hope it doesn't come to that. Don't make me put you in separate rooms."

He growled as he settled back into the bed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'll be good."

She patted his arm affectionately. "I'm glad you're okay, Dr. Jackson. The Colonel did what he had to do to get you and the others home. You couldn't have walked far on that leg on your own."

"Yeah, well. I'm still mad at him." He stated like a petulant child, folding his arms across his chest.

"And as his doctor, so am I. But that's my job. Just like he was doing his. If you'll excuse me, I have to go check on our two marines. My staff is going to be overworked dealing with two whiny colonels when they're both awake. If you ask me, we should be getting hazardous pay when those two are at it."

Despite himself, Daniel smiled. "Hey Janet? Why are all the nurses women?"

Janet smiled down at him. "Because we're smarter and prettier, honey. And don't you forget it."

-----

"Jack." He heard his name being called. "Ja-ack." Somebody was sure persistent. "Jack!"

"What?" Jack exclaimed in response before he was fully awake, and the word came out more like 'wha-um'. He opened his jaw and worked it, sliding his tongue around to wet his mouth with saliva, making a face at the cotton mouth he had going. "Dan'l?"

"Got something you forgot to tell me, hmm, Jack? Little something you think might be important to let your teammate in on?"

"Huh?" He tentatively opened his eyes and slammed them back shut at the harshness of the infirmary lights, even if they were at a low setting. Okay, good to know they were in the infirmary, that meant they were safe. So what was Daniel asking about? "Daniel? You okay?"

"I'm fine, Jack. How about you?"

"Oh, you know. About as well as can be after being stabbed. Any idea how long we're going to be here?" He opened his eyes and glanced around before shifting to make himself more comfortable against the thin pillow. He clumsily lifted the sheet up to look at his bandaged side.

"You are unbelievable, Jack. How could you not tell me?"

Jack looked over at Daniel, alarmed by the man's anger at him. "What?"

"What if something had happened to you because you were helping me? I wouldn't have had a clue what was wrong with you. I may not be military but haven't I proven myself enough for you? You can't hide something like that from me, Jack. It works both ways, you know."

"Daniel, what are you talking about? I didn't hide anything."

"Yes, you did."

"I did not."

"Did too."

"Didn't."

"Did."

"Daniel, for crying out loud, I have no idea what you're talking about and I never hid a thing from you on this mission. And would somebody please get me some water, before I have to drink my own eyeball fluid to get some moisture in my mouth."

Daniel cringed inwardly at the image. "I'm very upset with you, Jack." He stated as calmly as possible.

Jack looked over at him, his eyebrows raised. "I'm glad you're alive, too, Daniel, thanks for your concern. What did I do?"

"You didn't tell me you were hurt. You let me think you were okay helping me walk all that way. My God, Jack, you made a big deal about me being injured and then I find out that you were probably worse off than me the whole time."

"Whoa, whoa, hold on there, tiger. Worse off than me? Daniel, I didn't even feel the knife in me until we'd already settled in. And believe me, I've had much worse. A leg injury like that is a greater impediment to speed and agility than what happened to me," he indicated Daniel's leg with a wave of his hand. Daniel didn't seem at all appeased by his argument. "I didn't hide it. You fell asleep. I was right there in front of you the whole time. And besides, if you'd known I was injured would you have let me help you so much? No, you wouldn't, and we'd probably still be back on that planet trying to catch up with Teal'c." He closed his eyes as he suddenly felt a wave of nausea hit, but he knew it would pass in a few seconds.

When it did, he glanced over at Daniel, who managed to look concerned through his disappointment and anger. Jack sighed as he continued his defense. "Just because we've never really been tortured by the Goa'uld right after we've been captured doesn't mean it won't happen someday. We couldn't wait. I couldn't let you slow me down unnecessarily."

Daniel's eyes widened at the quiet passion behind Jack's words. "You were worried the others might be tortured?"

"I'm always worried. They could have been put to death immediately, who knows. This is what I'm trained to do, Daniel. Focus on the mission. I'll admit, I may have…misled you, but that's only because I know you. You're a pain in the ass."

Daniel huffed, smirking over at Jack. "Gee thanks, Jack." Somehow it was oddly reassuring, that Jack wasn't going to get all hearts and flowers over this.

"Yeah, well. Serves you right, waking me up while I'm recovering from a very trying ordeal. How is everyone?"

He knew he couldn't stay mad at Jack for long, but this was ridiculous how fast Jack had turned the tables on him. He sighed, giving in to the friendship the two men had developed over the last two years. "They're all fine. Janet decided to keep you and Makepeace apart. Something about divide and conquer."

"I knew it!" Jack exclaimed tiredly, followed by a huge yawn as he burrowed comfortably into his pillow again and closed his eyes. "We ought to just unleash her on the Goa'uld. See how they handle the big needles." He tilted his head to face Daniel and lazily opened his eyes. "Hey, Daniel?"

"Yes, Jack?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For caring what happens to me."

"I'm not sharing my cookies with you."

Jack smiled as he turned to look up at the ceiling. "Nuts."

The end


End file.
